A faltering Napoli is looking to build on its past glory this season.
“We have decided to dismiss Rudi Garcia, thanking him and the coaching staff for their collaboration so far,” Napoli announced on its official website on Friday.
Shortly thereafter, the club announced on its official social media that “Walter Mazzarri is the new head coach of Napoli. Welcome back,” the club said on social media, confirming the appointment.
Garcia’s dismissal was expected. Garcia’s record so far has been poor, with eight wins, eight draws, and four losses in 16 games in all competitions. Back in October, two consecutive home defeats – a draw at home to UEFA Champions League group leaders Union Berlin and a home loss to 19th-ranked Empoli – led to his dismissal.
Failure to repeat last season’s glory Napoli had conquered the Italian Serie A for the first time in 33 years under Luciano Spalletti, with the likes of Kim Min-jae, Victor Osimhen, and Hvitsa Kvarachelia at the height of their powers. However, Spalletti missed out on the chance to continue his legacy when he left the club at the end of last season after failing to reach an agreement with Napoli.
Napoli quickly searched for a replacement, but without the best results. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted to appoint Antonio Conte, who is known for his ability to turn around teams in the short term, but Conte refused to even sit down at the negotiating table, citing a desire to take a break with his family.
There was also a disagreement with Croatia international Igor Tudor. Tudor wanted a guaranteed minimum of one and a half years, while De Laurentiis wanted to see how the season went and then re-set the length of the contract. Neither had the confidence or the proven track record to give in to Tudor’s demands. 보스토토 도메인
In the end, the club reunited with a coach from their past glory days. Mazzarri managed Napoli from 2009 to 2013, creating a trio of Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and Edinson Cavani that turned the club into a title contender. In the 2011-2012 season, he lifted the Coppa Italia, giving the club its first major trophy in 22 years.
For now, Mazzarri will remain in charge of the team through this season. The lack of results since his departure from Napoli has been a source of anxiety, which is why he was ultimately named Napoli’s fire chief on a short-term contract.
